To Tell The Truth…The Costumed Cast Members at Epcot’s Soarin': An Interactive Game

To Tell The Truth has returned (are you guys sensing a pattern?). Here is a reminder of how this special blog works: I will list four stories about a particular topic – but only one of them is true. You guys have to pick out the one that is the authentic story. You would then leave a comment justifying why you think one story is true or why one of them is false. Next Tuesday I will share what the correct story was, so stay tuned! Our topic this week is: Cast Member wardrobe at Soarin’.

Epcot’s Soarin’ invites you to take flight and feel the wind through your hair as you hang glide over spectacular sights and smells of California. Originally conceived for the Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, Soarin’ finally made the flight over to Walt Disney World in 2005, landing in Epcot and has been there ever since. If you have been to both of these attractions, you may notice that the Cast Members are dressed differently at each location even though it is technically the same attraction. Why are the Cast Members in California and Florida wearing two completely altered uniforms?

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Story 1

In California’s Disneyland, the Cast Members that you meet before and after your flight are dressed like pilots. However in Florida’s Disney World, your flight crew is dressed in the appropriate attire that a flight attendant would wear. If you have ever been on an airplane, you know that it is pretty common that the flight attendants are seen during the flight. You generally don’t see the pilot until you have landed and are departing your flight when he or she greets you at the gate. Think about it. In the attraction Soarin’, you are physically in Florida but virtually transported so that you are hang gliding over CALIFORNIA. If you are actually traveling from Florida to California, you would see more flight attendants on the way to the west coast, and the pilot once you arrive thus why the Cast Members in Florida are dressed as flight attendants (for the trip) and Cast Members in California are dressed as pilots (because that is the final destination). It further immerses you into the story, even though it is a small detail that the average visitor wouldn’t notice.

Story 2

When costumes came to mind for the Soarin’ attraction in Walt Disney World, Imagineers wanted to use the same costumes worn in California to keep the attraction consistent. It was decided to assemble the attire in Anaheim, since all of the fabrics, patterns, and other required materials were already over there. When the costumes were shipped to Florida, however, they were lost in shipping. It was very close to opening, so there wasn’t enough time to remake the uniforms in California and possibly even lose them once again. Disney made the smart move of remaking the costumes in Florida, using the materials available in their arsenal and the very capable hands of the Orlando seamstresses. As a result, the outfits weren’t exactly the same as those worn in California but the crew loved them, along with guests and the costume department, so the look stayed.

Story 3

In Florida, the Kennedy Space Center is located not too far away from Walt Disney World – only about an hour drive away. This is only place on Earth where you can tour launch areas, meet a veteran astronaut, see giant rockets, train in spaceflight simulators, and even view a launch. Paying homage to our nation’s rich history of space travel was the Imagineers’ goal when seeking inspiration to design new costumes for Disney’s own tribute to space travel (although of the hang gliding kind). The regalia chosen for the Cast Members in Florida were designed to celebrate America’s advancements in air travel and are unique to the Walt Disney World Soarin’ just as the Kennedy Space Center is unique to Florida.

Story 4

This is all a lie. All of it. The costumes are actually exactly the same in both Disneyland’s Soarin’ and Disney World’s Soarin’. The same insignia, the same buttons, the same hats and even the same exact color schemes are used: A royal blue and a nautical red. Imagineers wanted to mirror the original Soarin’ attraction as accurately as possible, as they did with the Haunted Mansion.

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Okay, Disney fans, let’s test your trivia knowledge. Which one of these stories explains why the uniforms are different at the Soarin’ attractions in Florida’s Walt Disney World and California’s Disneyland? Let me know which you think is correct (or if you prefer, which ones are not) below.

See ya REAL soon!

Quote of the Week: “No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for… for ten minutes?” ~ Mr. Incredible, The Incredible

Makena is a 14 year old high school student who spends much of her free time researching Disney. She enjoys sharing Disney facts and even plans Walt Disney World vacations (including searches for secrets and Hidden Mickeys) for friends and family. Makena began blogging for WDW Radio in December 2011.

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